Summary
- Dark Souls 2 offers a structured entry point for newcomers despite its black sheep status and controversial design decisions.
- Elden Ring's open world and overwhelming mechanics provide a great challenge for new players seeking a comprehensive FromSoftware experience.
- Dark Souls remains the best starting point for beginners, offering a satisfying introduction to the trademark game design of FromSoftware.
FromSoftware games have justifiably gotten a reputation for being brutally difficult, and many newcomers take that to mean they're impossible to get into. While some FromSoftware Games are really tough for newcomers, some are actually a great entry point into their bibliography.
17 Hardest FromSoftware Games, Ranked
FromSoftware enjoys providing players with intense, exhilarating, and challenging experiences, and these games amount to some of their hardest yet.
While some FromSoftware games require exceptionally demanding reflex skills that will turn off new players, others have a tight structure that lead new players in the right direction, making the brutal difficulty a little more manageable.
5 Dark Souls 2
Best For Newcomers Looking For Something A Little Different
Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin
- Released
- April 2, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- FromSoftware
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Dark Souls 2 is the undeniable black sheep of the FromSoftware catalogue. The game was always going to have a tough time with the fans as it wasn't directed by series figurehead Miyazaki, and Dark Souls 2 also made some controversial design decisions that broke from Dark Souls convention, resulting in the infamous introduction of the ADP stat. All that being said, it's still not a bad place to start with FromSoftware games, particularly if a newcomer is interested in a long linear game that remains structured, unlike the open world of Elden Ring.
Dark Souls 2: 20 Most Powerful Bosses, Ranked
Dark Souls 2 has a lot of bosses, but which ones are the strongest? Here's a look at the most powerful bosses in the hit game Dark Souls 2.
Additionally, Dark Souls 2 has undergone something of a critical reappraisal lately. While it definitely broke from what came before, its new ideas, particularly its thematic and story ideas, would become really important in future FromSoftware games. Its DLC is also undeniably excellent producing some of the best level and boss design of the entire franchise. While it's not necessarily the easiest place to start with FromSoftware, there are far worse options, and Dark Souls 2 remains a great game to this day.
4 Elden Ring
A Little Bit Of Everything
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Elden Ring is the biggest game FromSoftware has ever made, and it matched that scale with an unprecedented level of commercial success. That means for millions of gamers, Elden Ring was likely their first step into the world of FromSoftware and the Soulslike, which is generally great, but there was some mixed results.
8 Most Tragic Figures In Elden Ring's Lore
Discover the most tragic figures in Elden Ring, their heart-wrenching stories of loss, betrayal, and fate that shaped the Lands Between.
While Elden Ring's open nature means that players can simply walk away from fights they're getting crushed in and it's the smoothest a FromSoftware game has ever played, the game also packs in the sum-total of every mechanic in all other FromSoftware games jammed into one mega RPG, which can definitely overwhelm newcomers. While that does mean a steep learning curve at the start, if the player's willing, they can get everything great about FromSoftware games in one single package.
3 Dark Souls 3
The Most Polished Version of Dark Souls
Dark Souls 3
- Released
- March 24, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
By the time Dark Souls 3 arrived in 2016, the reputation of FromSoftware had risen considerably in the gaming community, with Dark Souls already becoming one of the most influential games in game design for some time. Dark Souls 3 was a return to the series from Miyazaki, and it sanded off some of the harsh edges of its two predecessors making some much-needed QOL changes while innovating some truly great bosses.
However, despite the innovations in gameplay flow and style, Dark Souls 3 is very clearly made for fans of the original two games, acting as a narrative and meta-commentary on the Souls games in general, making it pretty alienating for a new player. However, if a new player doesn't care about the story, Dark Souls 3 could be a good place to start, even if the story would be a little out of order.
2 Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
A Great Entry Into FromSoft and Armored Core
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
- Released
- August 25, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action, Shooter
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
For a long time, FromSoftware was actually better known for making the Armored Core games than the Soulslike genre it pioneered. Armored Core went dormant for a long time but came roaring back in 2023 with Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, introducing the franchise to millions of new fans and its trademark mecha boss combat.
It's also an excellent place to start for both the Armored Core franchise, as well as FromSoftware games in general. It's very modern, it has a discrete mission structure that keeps things limited, and it plays a little more conventionally than the Souls genre demands. It also introduces FromSoftware's layered storytelling in a more direct way, meaning players don't necessarily need to consult YouTube videos to fully understand the story.
1 Dark Souls
The First Chapter Remains The Best Jumping In Point
Dark Souls Remastered
- Released
- May 23, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- From Software, QLOC, Virtuos
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, From Software
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
It's hard to argue that the original Dark Souls is beginner-friendly by any means. However, no other game in the FromSoftware catalog best introduces their trademark game design in such an efficient and satisfying way. By the time the player beats the Gargoyles, they should have a full understanding of exactly how a FromSoftware game works, and it's a lot more friendly than Demon's Souls on account of the refilling Estus flask. Additionally, if they're struggling, there's a variety of overpowered builds they can try to push through.
A newcomer will no doubt have a tough time at the beginning of Dark Souls, but by playing it first, they will have the founding they need to play any other FromSoftware game and understand exactly how it operates. Elden Ring is half as complicated to players who have played Dark Souls, and suddenly games like Sekiro and Bloodborne which are far from beginner friendly open themselves up too. Dark Souls is absolutely the best place for newcomers to start.
Best FromSoftware Games, Ranked
FromSoftware's long roster of games is full of excellence. From Dark Souls to Armored Core 6 and Nightreign, here's how the best titles rank up.